Injury Notes: Lindgren, Asplund, Stalock
New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. Lindgren sustained the injury in a collision with an Edmonton Oilers player during yesterday’s loss.
The 24-year-old is a crucial defensive piece for the Rangers. While he’s averaged under 18 minutes per game this year, he remains on the team’s top defense pairing with Adam Fox. The Rangers’ defensive numbers are significantly worse without Lindgren in the lineup, and with the team just outside of a playoff spot post-Thanksgiving, they’ll need all hands on deck to avoid falling too far out of the race. Zachary Jones is the extra defenseman on the active roster.
- According to Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato, forward Rasmus Asplund has been cleared to return to play. The defensive forward has been out with an upper-body injury for the past four days. Asplund has two goals, four assists, and six points in 17 contests this season, and could draw in for Vinnie Hinostroza when the Sabres host the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow.
- Chicago Blackhawks goalie Alex Stalock is working his way back from a concussion, as NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis reports the netminder was on the ice for morning skate. After an impressive .914 save percentage through seven games, Stalock has been in concussion protocol since sustaining an injury against the New York Islanders on November 1. It would likely mean the team sends Arvid Soderblom back to the minors, but he’s outperformed veteran Petr Mrazek (1-4-1, .885 save percentage). While a long shot, the Blackhawks could opt to waive Mrazek upon Stalock’s return.
Barclay Goodrow Out Week-To-Week
According to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple, New York Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow is out week-to-week (link). After a physical first game of their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins that saw several injuries, Goodrow appeared to escape unharmed. However, the forward was noticeably absent from warmups ahead of tonights 5-2 Rangers win. Replacing Goodrow in the lineup tonight was forward Dryden Hunt, who got his first postseason action as a member of the Rangers.
Goodrow is not the superstar that his teammates Artemi Panarin or Adam Fox are, however his presence as a physical, two-way forward with Stanley Cup pedigree is invaluable to this young Rangers team trying to make an earlier-than-anticipated run at a Stanley Cup. Being week-to-week should provide Goodrow with a chance to get back in the lineup should the Rangers season continue on long enough. In the meantime, the team could look to a player like Hunt who does play a similar style to Goodrow to try and fill that void.
In other Rangers injury news, Staple adds that defenseman Ryan Lindgren will be a game-time decision for game three in Pittsburgh. Lindgren did not play tonight, and was instead replaced by Justin Braun, who the Rangers had acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers at the trade deadline. An underrated acquisition at the time, Braun is showing his value being able to come into the lineup after sitting in the first game, bringing with him 100 games of previous playoff experience.
Ryan Lindgren, Brian Dumoulin Out For Game 2
Both the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers will be missing a top-four defenseman for tonight’s Game 2. Brian Dumoulin is out for the Penguins, while Ryan Lindgren is out for the Rangers.
Dumoulin nearly hit 50 shifts in Game 1’s triple-overtime win, logging 36:35 of ice time, two shots, one hit, and one blocked shot. Making a name for himself as the longtime defense partner to Kris Letang, it’s likely Mike Matheson will slot in Dumoulin’s place on the top pair. Both Mark Friedman and Nathan Beaulieu took warmups for the Penguins, and one of them is expected to draw into the lineup.
Lindgren was banged up in the last game and was called a game-time decision with a lower-body injury this morning. He serves a very similar role as Dumoulin does in Pittsburgh, serving as the more defensively-inclined partner to Adam Fox. He didn’t quite hit 30 minutes of ice time in Game 1, struggling with the injury during the game. Justin Braun is drawing into the lineup, but it’s unclear how the pairs will look.
Two-time Stanley Cup champion Barclay Goodrow is also missing for the Rangers.
Jarred Tinordi Assigned To Conditioning Loan
The New York Rangers continue to employ the conditioning loan to manage their depth on the blue line this season. After Libor Hajek spent time with the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack earlier this season, it is now Jarred Tinordi‘s turn. The team has announced that the veteran defenseman is on his way down to the minors for a conditioning stint.
Tinordi’s loan is a bit more puzzling that Hajek’s, however. While Hajek, 23, is still a young and once-promising asset that could have been lost on waivers, Tinordi is a lesser risk. In fact, the 29-year-old stay-at-home specialist already cleared waivers earlier this season. There is also the fact that the Rangers have a clear top six and wouldn’t be significantly harmed even if Tinordi was claimed. Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, Ryan Lindgren, K’Andre Miller, and Patrik Nemeth have played in all 25 of New York’s games, while rookie Nils Lundkvist has suited up for 20. Tinordi has played in only five games, the last of which came all the way back on November 21, and is averaging just over 12 minutes of ice time per game. Hajek meanwhile has amazing still not seen NHL action this year. With such a solid six, is it worth manipulating the roster in this way just to ensure a player like Tinordi isn’t claimed?
The counter-argument is this: beyond their current top six, the Rangers are not as deep as they may seem on defense and Tinordi is more of an established NHL value than it may seem too. While New York has been fortunate enough to not have to dive into their defensive depth yet this season, an injury or tow, especially to one of top blue liners, would leave the team exposed. Miller and Lundkvist are both very young and raw and there are more like them in Hartford. Though all very talented prospects, leaning on the inexperience of Zac Jones, Braden Schneider, or Matthew Robertson in the event of health issues on the NHL blue line would leave the Rangers with very little veteran leadership and know-how. If Tinordi was lost on waivers, only Anthony Bitetto would offer an experienced depth option. Just last year, Tinordi was claimed on waivers too. The Boston Bruins took a shot on the big rearguard when the Nashville Predators risked him on the wire and Tinordi ended up playing out the season in Boston and even suiting up in the postseason. Given their lack of veteran options, it seems that the Rangers are unwilling to risk history repeating itself.
So, Tinordi will get some play time and stay game-ready with a stint in Hartford. The move could also allow for Hajek to finally draw back into the Rangers lineup and could provide the promising Wolf Pack blue liners with another veteran mentor, at least for the time being. It’s not exactly a critical move for the franchise, but it’s a safe play for a team with their eye on finally getting back to the postseason this year.
New York Rangers Extend Ryan Lindgren
After just a few days on the job, New York Rangers GM Chris Drury has completed his first big move. The team has signed Ryan Lindgren to a three-year contract extension. Lindgren was set to become a restricted free agent this summer. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tweets the full breakdown:
- 2021-22: $2MM salary
- 2022-23: $3MM salary
- 2023-24: $4MM salary
Earlier today, the Rangers named Lindgren this year’s winner of their Players’ Player Award, which is awarded “to the Ranger who, as selected by his teammates, best exemplifies what it means to be a team player.”
Originally selected by the Boston Bruins in 2016, Lindgren was one of the pieces the Rangers received in the 2018 Rick Nash deal. He played in 51 games this season, often pairing with Norris Trophy candidate Adam Fox, and recorded 16 points. While Lindgren didn’t receive any powerplay time, he did trail only Fox in shorthanded ice time this season, averaging 2:30 on the penalty kill every night.
That kind of defensive presence is valuable and obviously worth it to the Rangers as they move forward with new management. The 23-year-old Lindgren would not have been eligible for salary arbitration, but won’t even need to enter into any free agent negotiations.
Importantly, he will still be an RFA at the deal’s expiry, leaving the Rangers with a bit of team control down the road. If his development continues, by the time he’s 26 he’ll be looking for a much more expensive long-term deal. For now, he comes in as the team’s third-highest-paid defender for next season, though Anthony DeAngelo‘s final year is expected to be bought out this offseason. The team has one more year of Fox on his entry-level deal, one of the most valuable contracts in the league right now.
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